GOVT WARNS SWAZILAND SOLIDARITY FORCES

MBABANE – Alpheous Nxumalo, the Government Press Secretary, says the Swaziland Solidarity Forces continue to pose a security threat to the country.

“Political formations with military wings such as the so-called Swaziland Solidarity Forces continue to pose a national security threat to the country,” Nxumalo said. In a press statement, the government press secretary said government was aware that there was absolutely no intention for engagement from some of these forces. The government press secretary did not mention the political formations that had military wings.

intimidation

He said their respective intention was to disrupt, destroy and destruct. He decried the fact that it appeared the language they were bent out to speak was violence, intimidation, coercion and fear. “What they are not aware of is that to resort to force in the place of engagement can only result in them completely losing influence and space for participation within the nation,” warned Nxumalo.

power

He mentioned that emaSwati frowned upon the show of power even in circumstances and situations where people should be talking. Nxumalo advised that no government under the sun could land credibility and legitimacy to organisations with military wings. He said the mere existence of military wings in  a political organisation or movement was evident enough that they were prepared to use force and violence to gain power even if they had lost out on the negotiation table and on the polls.

terrorism

The government press secretary said they existed by nature in order to challenge the State through violence, sabotage and subversion. “And it was on such basis that the government took a conscious and decisive decision to legally proscribe some of the political formations with military wings,” he warned. “They had the propensity to project their nature of intimidation and violence.” He explained that the intention of prescribing such organisations was not to suppress dissenting views or opinions but to neutralise the capacity of these political formations with military wings for political coercion and terrorism. “They were and still remain a dangerous infrastructure,” he said. He pointed out that history has it on record that subversive insurgent organisations created military wings to challenge State power by waging insurgency low-key warfare, which was exactly what the Kingdom had witnessed in the last past months. Nxumalo stated that emaSwati realised that national security could not only be endangered by weapons of mass destruction.

undermined

He said they realised that it could also be endangered by being nibbled away at the periphery by forces of subversion, infiltration, intimidation, indirect aggression, internal revolution and diplomatic treachery in order to destabilise peace, security and stability and to undermine the people’s way of life and values. He advised the international system and community to stand up and be on the side of emaSwati as emerging democracies were undermined by political formations with military wings. He said no one should be seen landing credence or legitimacy by sponsoring and abetting such political formations. “And it is not too late to stand with one’s true friends to disrupt these dangerous movements in order to incapacitate them of the lethal power and danger they pose to nations of the world, including Eswatini,” he said. The commander of the Swaziland Solidarity Forces is unknown. He issues instructions through audios which are circulated on social media.

Despite the fact that he was not authorised by the State to issue instructions to the nation, many emaSwati, out of fear, obey his orders. The Swaziland Solidarity Forces claimed responsibility for deaths of some security officers and destruction of private property through arsons. In 2008, the late former Prime Minister, Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini, proscribed the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO), Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) and Umbane (military entity) as terrorist entities.

terrorist entities

Last year, Prime Minister Cleopas Sipho Dlamini proscribed Zweli Martin Dlamini and Swaziland News as terrorist entities. It must be said the Suppression of the Terrorism Act allows the proscribed entities and individual to appeal their proscription. According to cases of pure military offences handled by the international Criminal Police Association (Interpol), a red notice request was sent by its National Centre Bureau (NBC). In this case, the individual was wanted for ‘robbery with violence, stealing arms, and desertion’. The arrest warrant was issued by a court martial in that particular country where the request was sent. It is said that the NCB clarified that the military court was involved because the individual was a cadet at a military institute and had committed the ordinary crime at the military institute. It was concluded that the first two charges came under ordinary law and emanated from a different set of facts from the purely military charge of desertion. The red notice was, therefore, published on the basis of the charges of ‘robbery with violence and stealing arms’.

killing

Data concerning the killing of a former leader of the military police was sent by an NCB. There was an opinion that while the targeting of military personnel in situations of armed conflict may fall within the scope of Article 3 of Interpol constitution, the situation in question was not recognised by the international community as being one of armed conflict. Further, targeting a member of the armed forces does not in itself prevent a case from being registered in Interpol’s databases with respect to Article 3, because murder is considered an ordinary crime. The data were, therefore, registered. Registering data means the red notice was published legitimising the arrest of the wanted person. Article 3 enshrines a guiding principle of neutrality by explicitly forbidding Interpol from engaging in matters of political, military, religious and racial character. An NCB requested the publication of a yellow notice for a soldier in its country’s military forces who had disappeared during his military service.

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